Police arrest circuit judge for alleged DWICLARKSVILLE -- The Arkansas State Police (ASP) reported Saturday that Fifth Judicial District Circuit Judge William Pearson was arrested Friday night and released on bond Saturday morning from the Johnson County Sheriff's Office (JCSO). Pearson, 57, was arrested at approximately 9:30 p.m. Friday night near 1302 Crawford St. along the western edge of Clarksville. According to a ASP news release, Pearson is charged with DWI, reckless driving, fl...

City Council sets special electionThe Russellville City Council voted 7-0 during its Thursday night meeting to set the special election for the Ward 1, Position 1 council seat for April 11. Aldermen voted to table discussion on a special election date for The Arbors referendum, tentatively scheduled for May 9, because there is a possibility the referendum may be challenged in a court of law. Alderman Robert Wiley said putting both the council election and the referendum on the...

Convention center developer gets extensionCity Hall audience members applauded Thursday night after the Russellville City Council voted 7-0 to modify the master development contract with Hunt Properties GP for the convention center project. David Hunt, developer for The Landing, answered questions from aldermen, most of them from Larry Brown, and told the council he has worked diligently since he signed a contract with the city in August 2014. He was going to ask the council for a one...

Former executive admits to stealing company fundsLITTLE ROCK -- The former senior vice president of ICON Communications of Russellville pleaded guilty to mail fraud last week and faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. Christopher R. Thyer, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced in a news release Tuesday that Blaine Francis Houser, 52, of Dover waived his indictment and pleaded guilty to mail fraud after admitting that he used company funds for ...

ATU service project yields over 40,000 meals for those in needArkansas Tech University exceeded its goal of providing 40,000 meals for people in the Arkansas River Valley who are food insecure during a community service event on Monday, Jan. 16. The event was part of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day commemoration on the Arkansas Tech campus in Russellville. Volunteers from the Tech community met at W.O. Young Building Ballroom to assemble the meals in an effort coordinated with The Pack Shack, a non-profit...

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By Sam Strasner
FOR THE COURIERThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Womack steps down from PCLS boardThe Pope County Library System (PCLS) Board of Trustees met Wednesday and discussed several items including the retirement of Karen Womack. Womack was recognized during the meeting for her service on the board with a plaque. She put in nearly a decade from 2007-2016. In other business, library director Shawn Pierce said the Pope County Library is in the beginning stages of having a new roof put on the library. Last December funds were appropri...

Writer Dane to address Dardanelle Chamber dinner BNancy Dane is an author and lecturer with an expertise on the American Civil War in Arkansas and will be the guest speaker at the Dardanelle Chamber of Commerce's Annual Banquet at 6:30 p.m. on Monday Her Tattered Glory Series won the 2011 Fiction Award presented by the Arkansas Library Association, and the second book in the four novel series, "A Difference of Opinion," was nominated in 2009 for the prestigious Michael Shaara Award presented ...

The people of Pottsville have been generous2016 has come and gone and 2017 is here with all its possibilities. But there are some things that happened in 2016 that I am so thankful for that benefitted the Pottsville Community Pantry. The churches, schools, and people of Pottsville and Pope County have been so generous to us. Our main purpose is to serve the people of the Pottsville community first, but we have never turned anyone away. God has blessed us in so many ways. Every time mon...

Dover reports first case of the mumpsDOVER -- The State Department of Health confirmed Thursday that a Dover High School student was diagnosed with the mumps. Meg Mirivel, public information officer with the ADH Office of Health Communications, said the department received a report of mumps and notified the school district and parents Wednesday with an audio call sent to the district's "School Messenger" telephone system. She said department officials are working with school dist...

WYC School Board appoints new memberHAVANA — The Western Yell County School Board met on Monday and accepted the resignation of a school board member and heard updates on the district from Superintendent Joe Staton. The school board accepted the resignation of eight-year school board member Kenny Akin during their regular board meeting and appointed Robert Caldwell to fill the vacancy. During the meeting, Staton gave updates to the board about the district’s facilities including...

Spelling Bee W-I-N-N-E-R-SOut of 42 contestants in the annual Pope County Spelling Bee held on Tuesday, Jonah Patton (left), a fifth-grade student from REACH (Russellville Education Association of Christian Homeschoolers), placed first with the winning word ‘flense.’ There were a total of 34 rounds. The runner-up was Dev Donda (right), a seventh-grade student at Russellville Middle School. Patton will move forward to compete in the state spelling bee at 9 a.m. on March...

ATU to host art exhibit of Scarvelli’s works through Feb. 24Norman Hall Art Gallery at Arkansas Tech University will present an exhibition of works by watercolorist Spyridon Scarvelli through Feb. 24. The exhibit will be open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Norman Hall, which is located at 203 West Q Street in Russellville. Admission will be free and open to the public. The Arkansas Tech Department of Art will host a reception and gallery talk for the exhibit from 2:30-3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 25...

RHS Quiz Bowl 3rd at Morrilton JamboreeThe RHS Cyclone Quiz Bowl team traveled to Morrilton Jamboree last Saturday. The Cyclone varsity team finished third in the tournament with a 6-1 record. The Cyclones began the day with a convincing win over the Arkansas School for Math, Sciences, and the Arts (ASMSA) B team by a score of 350-90. In game 2, Russellville drew the ASMSA varsity team and fought to a 200-200 tie game at the end of regulation play. In overtime, neither team could s...

Hudson elected Oakland Cemetery Commission chairMindy Hudson, who served the past few years as secretary of the Oakland Cemetery Commission, was elected chairwoman during Tuesday's meeting inside City Hall. David Lee remained as vice chairman. Rebecca Howell was elected secretary. They will begin their terms for this year at the February meeting. Cemetery Director Stephanie Warwick said operations at the cemetery have been normal. Four spots have been sold in the new columbarium. She gave a...

Bond set in kidnapping caseBarry L. Durham, 46, and son Barry "Dallas" Durham, 24, found themselves in front of District Judge Don Bourne on Wednesday after being arrested following a kidnapping and high speed pursuit on Monday. Durham's bond was set at $200,000, while Dallas had his bond set at $7,500. According to a report from the Pope County Sheriff's Office, several agencies were involved in the a manhunt for Durham after dispatch advised of a kidnapping at approxi...

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BY TRAVIS SIMPSON
simpson@couriernews.comThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Law enforcement gathers at ATU for tabletop exerciseArkansas Tech University and Arkansas State Police Troop J hosted a tabletop exercise on Wednesday to provide area law enforcement officers with a controlled environment in which to test local resources for solving child abduction cases. The exercise, which took place at Arkansas Tech’s Chambers Cafeteria West Dining Room, was led by members of the FBI National Child Abduction Rapid Deployment (CARD) team. Representatives from a variety of law...

RHS Quiz Bowl 3rd at Morrilton JamboreeThe RHS Cyclone Quiz Bowl team traveled to Morrilton Jamboree last Saturday. The Cyclone varsity team finished third in the tournament with a 6-1 record. The Cyclones began the day with a convincing win over the Arkansas School for Math, Sciences, and the Arts (ASMSA) B team by a score of 350-90. In game 2, Russellville drew the ASMSA varsity team and fought to a 200-200 tie game at the end of regulation play. In overtime, neither team could s...

School board OKs Excel Lighting contractThe Hector School Board approved a contract with Excel Lighting to update lighting systems across the campus and agreed in principle to a transfer in ownership of Wildcat Lane in order to allow grant money from the Arkansas Cities Street Program to be used for paving and improvement of the street. Superintendent Mark Taylor told the board he had conferred with six of the superintendents listed as references by the Russellville lighting improve...